Mortar for throwing line-carrying projectiles



F. G.- HALL MORTAR FOR THROWING LINE CARRYING PROJECTILES Filed Oct. 27,1920 Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

UNITED stares FRANK HALL, 0F

EEEIADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MORTAR FUR THR-QVVENG LINE-GARHYING PROJECTILES.

Application filed. October 27, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that If, FRANK G. IIALL, a citizen of the United States, andresicing at Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mortars forThrowing Line-Carrying Projectiles, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to mortars and particularly to mortars designedand constructed to throw line carrying projectiles. lt lany forms ofguns and mortars for throwing line carrying projectiles have heretoforebeen designed or suggested for throwing lines from vessel to vessel atsea or between the shore and a vessel for establishing communication forthe purpose of saving lives, salvage, towing, etc. lhe present inventionis an improvement on prior devices of this kind and provides a mortarwhich is simple, light and strong, and which may be quickly knocked downfor transportation from place to place.

The mortar has three principal parts, the base, the carriage, and thebarrel, other parts being provided to secure the carriage and the barreltogether, the arrangement being such that these securing parts may beeasily and quickly manipulated so that the barrel and carriage may beconveniently separated for the purpose of transportation, and thecarriage and base being also readily separable, for the same reason.

An important feature of the invention resides in the manner in which thebarrel is connected to the carriage. instead of the usual trunnionsheretofore provided midway of the barrel in mortars of this type, thebreech end of the barrel is mounted on an axle supported in the carriageand is free to swingabout this aXle as a pivot. The axle is locatedsubstantially in the middle of the carriage and the force of recoil isexerted along a line which passes through the carriage close to thepivotal :zis of the barrel. This construction largely eliminates thejump of the piece in firing which, in some types of mortars, issuiiicient to throw the piece over backwardly. The accuracy of the pieceis naturally increased by this construction. It has heretofore beendificult to attain the necessary accuracy in firing mortars of thistype, inasmuch as the projectile is always relatively heavy as comparedwith the weight of the mortar, the powder charge Serial No. 419,923.

large, and the reaction or recoil force excessive.

As line throwing guns must frequently be used by vessels at sea and musttherefore be lashed to the deck, and as a vessel afloat constantlychanges its direction, it is desirable to so mount the gun that it maybe lashed but yet so that it may be traversed to follow a moving target.A novel form of base is provided therefore upon which the carriage ispivotally mounted, the base being adapted to be lashed to a deck orframework of the vessel, the carriage having a limited swinging movementrelatively to the base, and means being provided for locking thecarriage and base together in the desired angular relationship.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mortar which iscompact, enabling it to be installed in small space, which is of greatimportance when the gun is to be carried on vessels such as tug boats,etc. Further objects are; to provide a mortar of this class in which theadjustment for elevation of the barrel may be quickly and easilyaccomplished; and in which means is provided for preventing the water,which normally flows down outside of the barrel in wet weather, fromentering the interior of the powder chamber through the priming openingto wet the powder or other explosive therein. Other objects andadvantages of the invention will be apparent as it is disclosed in thefollowing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mortar;

Figure 2 is a top view of the same;

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure l is a rear view of the mortar.

The mortar comprises essentially a base 9, a carriage 10 positioned onthe base, and a barrel 1lmounted on the carriage and, while these partsare preferaoly cast, they may be fabricated in any well known manner.The base 9 has a pin 9 extending upwardly therefrom at one end and theopposite end of the base, which is considerably wider, has a pluralityof circular apertures 9 therein which are disposed along an are havingits center in the axis of the pin 9. Forwardly extending flanges 9 areprovided at the front corners of the base and each of these flanges hasan aperture 9 therein through which ropes may be passed for the purposeof lashing the base to the deck of a vessel or to some other suitablestationary object.

The carriage 10 has two parallel bottom plates 10' held in spacedrelation by cross pieces 10 integral therewith, the rear cross piecehaving a boss provided with a cylindrical aperture to receive the pin 9'on the base. Each plate is also perforated at its forward end as at 10these perforations being so positioned that they may be brought intoregister simultaneously with two of the apertures 9 in the base. To lockthe forward end of the carriage t the base removable pins 14 areprovided which are adapted to extend through the registerin openings 10and 9 in the carriage and ase respectively. These pins preventaccidental swinging of the carriage relatively to the base around thepin 9', but may be removed to allow the carriage to be traversed, afterwhich they may again be inserted to hold the carriage in its newrelative angular position. Each of the bottom plates of the carriagehas, along its inner edge, a vertically extending flange portion, theheight of which varies from front to rear. A portion of each of theseflatnges,.approximately midway of the base, is thickened as indicated at10 and these thickened portions are provided with aligned cylindricalapertures or bearings 10. At the front and rear the vertical flanges arecut away as at 10 and whereby handles are formed by which the carriagemay be conveniently grasped and lifted. Near the front of the carriageand immediately in rear of the handles the vertical flanges are extendedupwardly to form spaced parallel pedestals which are preferablyarc-shaped, the centers of the arcs lying on the axis of alignedapertures 10 These arc-shaped pedestals are 7 provided with series ofaligned apertures The barrel 11 of the mortar has, extending rearwardlyfrom its breech end, two spaced flanges 11 which are provided withaligned apertures of the same size as the apertures 10* of the carriage.At a point intermediate the ends of the barrel it is provided with twoparallel and downwardly extending projections or flanges 11 providedwith aligned apertures 11 therein of the same size as apertures 10.

In assembling the barrel and carriage the axle or shaft 12 is extendedthrough the apertures 10 of the carriage and the apertures in theflanges 11 of the barrel, and a member 13 is inserted through alignedapertures 10 and 11 of the carriage and barrel respectively and thebarrel will be thereby maintained in fixed position on the carriage aslong as both of the members 12 and 13 remain in position. Suitablecotter pins 12 and 13 respectively are provided to prevent theaccidental displacement of either of these members. Th barrel can ofcourse pivot about the axle l2 and when it is desired to adjust the samefor elevation the pin 13 is removed, the barrel elevated or depressedand the pin reinserted in the apertures 10 selected.

It is often the case that the mortar is employed in wet weather and thatrain, flying spray, etc., will wet the barrel and will run down instreams along the same. To prevent a flow of water into the powderchamber through the priming opening I have provided a lug 11 on thebarrel through which the priming opening is formed and it will beobvious that water flowing down the length of the barrel cannot find itsway through the priming opening and into the powder chamber. The barrelis of light construction and to strengthen the same, es pecially'against the effects of rough handling when detached from its base,strengthening ribs 11 are provided, which extend from the thickenedbreech end portion 00nvergingly towards the muzzle. Although four ofthese ribs are illustrated others may be provided, if found necessary ordesirable.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the design andarrangement of parts of the invention which is therefore not limited inits scope to the exact embodiment disclosed.

'Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

In a mortar of the class described, in combination, a portable baseadapted to be secured to a deck or other stationary object and having apin projecting upwardly therefrom and also having a plurality ofapertures therein disposed along an are having said pin as a center, acarriage having an aperture at its rear end to receive said pin andhaving an aperture at its front end adapted to be brought into registerwith any one of said apertures in the base, removable means forinserting into two such aligned apertures to prevent relative movementof the carriage and base, and a barrel mounted on said carriage.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si ature.

' FRANK G. ALL.

